Health, economic and tribal leaders of Bristol Bay told Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday, April 15, that if the government can’t take all necessary steps to protect residents from the COVID-19 pandemic than the state should close down the 2020 fishery.
“The long-term cost of allowing a fishery to go forward would far outweigh the cost of foregoing one season,” they said. “If the fishery is allowed to go forward without these measures, ignoring the warnings of public health experts and pleas of the Bristol Bay communities, the consequences will be devastating and generational.”
Spread of the COVID-19 virus in Bristol Bay and resulting devastating generational economic and social consequences, would not be an act of God, they said, but the result of the state’s failure to act and to fulfill its fundamental duties to its citizens.
The letter cites concerns over the thousands of individuals who converge on Bristol Bay to fill seasonal jobs as fishermen industry support personnel and processing workers, traveling there from every corner of the globe. They noted advisories from health officials saying that individuals infected with the virus can be asymptomatic, but still highly contagious, as well as the close quarters on fishing boats, fishing tenders and processing facilities.
It is impossible for these individuals or their employers to comply with recommendations for social distancing and personal hygiene of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and your administration, the letter to Dunleavy said.
Signers of the letter included Jason Metrokin, president and CEO of Bristol Bay Native Corp.; Norm Van Vactor, president and CEO of Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp.; Ralph Andersen, president and CEO of Bristol Bay Native Association; Robert Heyano, president of United Tribes of Bristol Bay; Brenda Akelkok, executive director of Bristol Bay Housing Authority; and Robert Clark, president and CEO of Bristol Bay Area Health Corp.
The group attached to their letter a list of protocols they want in place for the 2020 Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fishery, to apply at all ports of entry into Bristol Bay communities by air, sea and land.
These protocols call for a certified health providers physical exam for everyone associated with the commercial fishery within a maximum of 48 hours of beginning their journey to Bristol Bay, including negative results from a COVID-19 test.
Upon arrival these individuals would have to go directly into quarantine and remain there until a follow-up negative COVID-19 test result, and then have two health screenings every week, using criteria still being developed. Post quarantine these individuals would also have to abide by local municipal, tribal and state ordinances and mandates to maintain the health of these communities.
The protocols also call for, in the event of COVID-related medical issues, that the industry provide medical assistance for these people due to the limited capacity of local medical providers, including isolation facilities, plus medical evacuation plans.
These protocols, they said, represent minimum elements for the industry and must be effective immediately.
